PESHAWAR: Thousands of Pakistani rescuers are struggling through knee-deep mud and heavy rain to search for survivors after flash floods killed at least 344 people.
Most deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where monsoon rains triggered landslides and collapsed homes.
In Buner district, at least 208 people died, with 10 to 12 villages partially buried under debris.
“The operation to rescue people trapped under debris is ongoing,“ said Bilal Ahmed Faizi of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rescue agency.
“There is still concern that dozens may be trapped under the rubble… the chances of survival are very slim.”
Around 2,000 rescue workers are recovering bodies and conducting relief operations across nine districts.
AFP journalists in Buner saw half-buried vehicles and belongings scattered in sludge, with mud covering homes and shops.
Flooded roads are delaying rescue vehicles, forcing villagers to clear fallen trees after water levels dropped.
“Our belongings are scattered, ruined and are in bad shape,“ said local shopkeeper Noor Muhammad.
“The shops have been destroyed along with everything else. Even the little money people had has been washed away.”
The provincial government has declared Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram as disaster-hit areas.
“This disaster has spread everywhere and surrounded us from all sides,“ said Buner resident Syed Wahab Bacha.
“Our entire poor community has been affected. The shops in the lower bazaar have been destroyed.”
Hundreds attended mass funerals on Saturday, where bodies wrapped in blood-stained shawls were laid out.
Pakistan’s meteorological department warns of more torrential rains and flash floods in the coming days.
The monsoon season brings vital rainfall but also destruction, with landslides and floods common from June to September.
This year’s monsoon started earlier and may end later, according to disaster agency official Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah.
Unusual monsoon rains since summer have killed at least 650 people nationwide, with over 910 injured.
Pakistan remains highly vulnerable to climate change, facing frequent extreme weather events.
In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.
Buner villagers spent Saturday night searching through rubble for missing loved ones.
“The entire area is reeling from profound trauma,“ said schoolteacher Saifullah Khan.
“I helped retrieve the bodies of the children I taught. I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids.” – AFP